SEEKING THE LIMELIGHT

Promoting itself to be in the limelight which is in total conflict with the  spirit which should imbue a khaanqah, and  which is in diametric  contradiction of  the attitude of Ikhfaa’ and Goomnaami (concealment and being unknown) which  are among the fundamental constituents  of Akhlaaq-e-Hameedah (Beautiful moral character) for which Khaanqahs had been established by the Auliya, the institution in Azaadville, dubbing itself  ‘khaanqah akhtari’, advertises such of its activities which are in stark  conflict with the Maqaasid (Objectives) of Tasawwuf which are supposed to be the profession of a khaanqah.

Among the advertised activities which are in total negation of the life of a khaanqah, the following are cause for lament:

BOOTLICKING THE PUBLIC – CANVASSING FOR MUREEDS

Appealing to the public to participate in its programmes. This is absolutely revolting for a khaanqah and for personnel who operates a khaanqah. It portrays total lack of ghairat of the shaikh operating the khaanqah which is nothing but a ‘khaanqah’ in name.

The Imaani ghairat (honour) of a genuine Shaikh of Tasawwuf does not tolerate fishing for mureeds. The Mashaaikh are extremely averse and critical of a Shaikh who fishes for mureeds. The motive for increasing the circle of mureeds is nafsaani. It is motivated by hubb-e-jah (love for name and fame) and hubb-e-maal (love for wealth).

It is this despicable love which has ruined all the shaikhs and their khaanqahs of this era. It is this evil of hubb-e-dunya which prevents them from proclaiming the Haqq and which constrains them to conceal the Haqq or to deceptively adorn it with the inspirations whispered to them by shaitaan and the nafs. Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said: “The love of this dunya is the root of every evil.”

Whilst the profession of the genuine Mashaaikh of genuine khaanqahs was always the effort to expel the love of the dunya from the hearts of the mureedeen, the emphasis today of the shaikhs and their khaanqahs exercises is the very opposite. There is no resemblance between these khaanqahs of today and the Khaanqahs of the true Mashaaikh of Tasawwuf.